A CHINESE YELLOW JADE CARVING OF TWO CATS

18TH CENTURY

The mother cat lies curled up with her head turned to the right towards a butterfly resting on her back, her kitten clambers by her side playfully reaching for the insect with its right paw, the stone with some inclusions and dark specks, 4.6cm.

Provenance: from an English private collection, West Sussex, acquired by the current owner during various tours of duty between 1968 and 1985.

The image of a cat, mao, and a butterfly, hudie, expresses the sentiment maodie, or 'may you live into your seventies and eighties.' Pieces of this type would often have been given as birthday gifts.

Cf. Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum, Jade, vol.9, p.163, no.152 for a white jade carving of two cats and a butterfly; see also Christie's London, 9th November 2010, lot 162 for a similar carving also in white jade.